So no doubt golf fans everywhere have been counting the day, waiting on pins and needles for that oh-so-silly LIV Golf/Circus/Exhibition to start its 2023 campaign.
Defector-In-Chief Phil Mickelson, the highly-paid and winless LIVer will lead the charge down there in Mexico, Mayakoba to be exact, El Camaleon Resort course to be even more exact.
You may or may not recall that El Camaleon used to be a PGA Tour stop — it’s most (in)famous moment came when Matt (Kooch The Caddie Mooch) Kuchar tried to stick his local caddie with a paltry $3,000 after he bagged $1.3 million back in 2018. Well, the Tour left Mayakoba in the rear-view mirror and The Lamest Commissioner In All The Land (aka Greg Norman) gladly talked his Saudi Sugar Daddies into over-paying to play at a former weak-field PGA Tour stop.
But enough history. This week is a water-shed, monumental moment for The Saudi Golf Follies as the nearly anonymous CW network finally gave into the intense begging by Norman and will carry the LIV action.
If you are not familiar with CW, well, it’s the nation’s 25th most-watched network. If you want to count the desired demographics of LIV (18-49) it’s the 29th most watched network. Average age of a CW viewer is 58-years-old.
So let’s give you a taste of how LIV spins this monumental moment and what reality is:
LIV-speak: “A momentous day for LIV.”
Reality: This was a giveaway, no one was interested in paying LIV for its broadcast rights.
LIV-speak: “Following a competitive bidding window with multiple U.S. networks and streaming platforms, the sports story of 2022 has just moved into pole position for the top story of 2023,”
Reality: Wow, that statement would make Pinocchio’s nose grow to about 10 feet.
That second LIV-speak statement came from LIV chief media office Will Staeger, who is not sworn to tell the truth, ever.
Truth of the matter is no money changed hands in this deal. There was no “bidding” just begging. No major network wanted to touch LIV and not a single legitimate sponsor expressed any interest.
This “agreement” is being described as a revenue-share, although LIV generates no revenue. The Saudi Public Investment Fund has poured hundred of millions into players well past their primes. Production costs for the circus are being footed by LIV, so it will lose even more money than last year.
What about ratings? Well, bad news there for the Crown Prince (MBS) and everyone else — CW doesn’t submit to the standard Nielsen viewer ratings outside weekly prime time hours. So audience figures for LIV broadcasts won’t be available although no doubt LIV will claim millions will tune in. Advertisers will demand something more than the fairy tales from The Lamest Commissioner In All The Land (aka Greg Norman).
Friday rounds won’t make it to the broadcast — stream on the CW app only. Saturday and Sunday rounds will be aired — maybe. Fact is CW’s parent company — Nexstar Media Group, owns only a third of its stations — the rest are affiliates and can chose to not air the programming. Can only imagine someone trying to explain to The Crown Prince (MBS) why this multi-billion dollar folly was not shown in markets preferring to air re-runs of Two-And-A-Half-Men, The Simpsons and Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Last year on U-Tube, LIV audience numbers were pretty dismal at best. It’s hard to believe that CW can be a LIV success when U-Tube’s platform has 2.6 billion users. The Lamest Commissioner was quick to boast that CW is available in 120 million American households.
So the very best way to describe this LIV television deal is a desperate, distress sale.
But the word “sale” infers that money was paid — and that’s not the case.
And at the end of the day, no one was willing to pay for the circus.
Sorry Gregory and someone needs to fill MBS on that fact and hope they can keep their head intact.
Editor’s Note: LIV won’t be shown on the CW affiliate in the Tampa Bay area. Bethune-Cookman women’s basketball will air instead of LIV.
